It All Began in Iowa

On October 31, 1992, a group of individuals met in Ogden, Iowa. Their main concerns were the future of the Lincoln Highway, the preservation of the road, and public awareness of the historic highway.  Bob Ausberger of Jefferson, Iowa served as Lincoln Highway Association president 1994-1996.

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Thirty years later there are chapters in the 13 states the Lincoln Highway traverses as well as interest and awareness in the 13 Iowa Counties the Lincoln Highway passes through.  Forty-four people from seven states met in 1992 at the then City State Bank in Ogden.  They formed the “new” national Lincoln Highway Association.  The reborn Lincoln Highway Association adopted the name of an earlier group of the same name.  In July 1913, in Detroit, Michigan, a group of men approved the original Lincoln Highway Association with a slightly different purpose in mind – to establish and promote an Atlantic to Pacific improved highway.   From the very beginning, Iowa’s membership in the Lincoln Highway Association exceeded the other Lincoln Highway States and continues to do so as interest and membership grows.

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The Iowa Lincoln Highway Association is active in preservation, education and promotional efforts relating to the Lincoln Highway which parallels modern U.S. Highway 30 in much of the state.  Long since established and now promoted as an historical highway, the entire length of Iowa’s Lincoln Highway was recently designated as the first Iowa Heritage Byway within the Iowa Byways program of which there are 11 designated byways.  The Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway is managed by Prairie Rivers of Iowa, a nonprofit organization based in Ames.  The Iowa Lincoln Highway Association works closely with the Byway to further efforts to preserve and enhance the Lincoln Highway in Iowa.  If you would like to view the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway website, click here.